Can-making machinery.



H. 6'. BLACK. CAN MAKING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1907. I

Patented Mar. 1, 1910.

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1 wmsssss X 5: flaw T H. 0. BLACK. CAN MAKING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1907. 950,742. v Patented Mar. 1, 1910.

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H. 0. BLACK.

CAN MAKING MACHINERY. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1907.

950,742. Patented Mar. 1, 1910.

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H. 0. BLACK. CAN MAKING MACHINERY. I APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1907.

Patented Mar. 1,1910.

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APPLICATION FILED AUG. 9, 1901. 950,742.

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H 0 BLACK CAN MAKING MACHINERY. APPLIOATIONIILIJDAUG.8,1907.

forming dies, and thence to the horn -or movable reciprocating bars or HENRY 0. BLACK, or SAN FRANCISCO, oAL IFoRNIA.

CAN -MAKIN G MACHINERY.

Specification of Application filed August 8, 1907. Seria1"'No. 3S7,628.

Letters Patent. Patented Mar."

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. BLACK, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Making Machinery, of which the following is a specification.

The hereinafter described invention relates to that class of can making machinery used for the formation of can bodies from blanks, and more particularly for the manufacture of can bodies to which the top and bottom are secured by means of :1 double seam joint, which style of cans is utilizedin connection with what is known to the I trade as the sanitary canningof goods.

The essential features of the invention, may be said to reside in the nieansarranged at each side of the apparatus for alternatelydelivering can body blanks to the endless carrier which conveys the same by step" movement to the knives fortrimming the corner edges of the blanks and; to the. hook mandrel around which the said blanks are formed into can bodies; in the construction of the body forming horn or mandrel, which, as the can body blanks areforme'd around the same, trues the ends of the can body blank prior to the closing of the sidev seam thereof in order to produce a can body having even ends, in 1 the means for releasing the can bodies as withdrawn from the horn or mandrel, and intlie. longitudinally devices for gaging the can body blanks as delivered beneath the trimming knives and-hook forming dies.

. prior to the same coiiperating features of the apparatus.

is an enlargedsectional view't'aken on line illustrating a I closing the side sea'm of To comprehend the invention reference should be had to the accompanying-sheets, of drawings, wherein---' I Figure 1 is a perspective view of the coinpleie apparatus with a well known form of soldering mechanism connected therewith, the longitudinally movable reciprocating gage bars being removed from said view for clearness of the drawings. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the mechanism illustrated by Fig. 1 of the drawings looking at the machine from the opposite side to that disclosed by said Fig. l of the drawings. Fig.

3 is a detailsectional enlarged'view taken on line of Fig. 2 of the drawings, there 1 being illustrated theendless carrier forconveying. the can body blanks through the ma chine, the position of-thelongitudinally movable reciprocating bars relative to the endlesscarrier-for the body blanks, and the means for actuating the said gage bars,is-a

view also disclosing the knives for trimming and. "slitting the can 'bodyj blanks hook forming-dies. "Fig; 4 is an enlarged sectional view on line =3 i Fig. 2 of the drawings, showing the relative positionof the horn or mandrel around which the can body blanks are formed, the clamping jaws which close the can body blanks around the said horn or mandrel, which clam ing jaws are also shown closed by dotted. vines, the endless carrier for conveying the canv body blanks to the horn or mandrel, the-diesfor. forming hook flanges. in. theside edges of the can: bodyblanks as conveyed toward the horn-or mandrel by the endless. carrier, the mechanism for actuating said dies', :and the .niain dri'veshaft which actu'ates'j the various Fig. Fig.- 2 of the drawings, can body blank positioned beneath the horn or mandrel and about to be acted on by the clamping jaws for .closin' the same'around the saidhorn or mandrel, the hammer for the can body, and

being placed beneath the the connection'for actuatingsaid-hammer.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail broken side View of the horn or I clamping jaws .being positioned thereon,

and showinginraddition'the mechanism for actuating tliesaid clamping jaws, the'ham- IDGP-fOI closing the side: seam of the can the collar on the horn or mandrel for.-

y truing the ends of the can body blankas formed about-the said horn or mandrel, to gether-with the support for the outer end portion of the horn or mandrel, likewise by dotted lines the cams on the main drive shaftfor successively bringing intooperation the mentioned dies, the clamping jaws for the can body blaiik, and the hammer for closing the side seam of the can body. Fig. L Sheet 3 of the drawings, is'a broken detail enlarged view inside elevation of the endless carrier with -a can body blank being acted thereon, and 'one of the longitudinally movable recipromandrel, illustrating the I knives and hook forming knives. Fig. is a similar View of the can body blank after having been acted on by the hook forming dies; Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the main drive shaft with its cams arranged thereon for successively operating the trimming and slittin knives, the hook forming dies, the clampingjaws for the can body blanks, and the hammer for closing the side seam of the can body blank formed around the horn or mandrel.

To facilitate an understanding of the apparatus, the successively operated features will be described first without reference to the detailed mechanism which bring into operation the said several features.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 of the drawings, the numeral 1 is used to designate any suitably constructed frame for the apparatus, and 2 a central bed secured to the top plate of the said frame. Within and over this bed 2 works the endless carrier 4 for the can body blanks 3, which carrier comprises preferably two linked chains provided with a series of supporting rolls 4, which Work within the channels or grooves formed by the longitudinal plates 5 attached to the bed plate 2, and each endless chain of the endless carrier 4 is in turn providedwith a series of upwardly projecting spaced inwardly curved projections or fingers 5, which said fingers bear against the edge of the can body blanks delivered onto the supporting plate 6, and by means of'said engaging fingers the said blanks are propelled through the apparatus and delivered to and beneath the horn or mandrel 7 secured. to the head block 8. To this head block 8 is hinged the weight bar 9, which bar projects forwardly so as to bear on the can body blanks as propelled toward the horn or mandrel 7, the weight of the bar 9 being sufficient to hold down the can body blank as it approaches the said horn or mandrel in order that the blank may-move beneath the same. The arran ement of the weight bar 9 and its connection with the head block 8, will be understood by reference to Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings.

At each side of the machine, near the forward end thereof, is located a feed for the can body blanks, the same consisting of the tables or platforms 10-10, slightly inclined, which are secured to the sides of the frame 1, and to the respective tables or platforms the guide plates 1112 are secured, which guide plates hold the can body blanks in position as moved toward the feed rolls Iii--13 for delivering the said can body blanks onto the supporting plate (3 to be received by the'endless carrier 4.

The can body blanks are advanced toward the respective feed rolls 13-43 by means of the conveyers 14-14, each carrier being provided with a series of projecting fingers 15 which extend and work within a slot cut in each of the tables or platforms 1010. These said projecting fingers bear against one end of t e can body blanks delivered to the tables or platforms 10-10 by operators stationed at each side of the machi'nefor the feeding of-can body blanks, and duringthe movement of the said endless conveyors 1414" propel the said can body blanks toward the respective feed rolls 13-13, the spacing of the projecting fingers 15 being such and the travel of the endless conveyors 1414' so timed that the can body blanks are delivered alternately onto the supporting plate 6 from each side of the machine. By this arrangement the can body blanks are fed to the machine with greater rapidity ling the can body blanks toward the horn or mandrel 7 is. an intermittent or step movement. The trimming and slit-ting devices consist of the fixed knives 16+16 and movable knives 17-17, which knives are secured respectively to the immovable or fixed heads 18 and the swinging brackets 18.. The side edges of the can body blanks when brought under the trimming and slitting knives rest on the fixed knife 16 andthe movable knife 17, when the saidcan body blank is at rest. The construction of the trimming and slittin knives will be under stood by reference to lg. 8015 the drawings. As the movable knives are forced toward the fixed knives, the same bear on the four corner ends of the can body blank 3, and cut and trim the said corners thereof at an indine, at the same time slitting the blank at the side edges thereof a slight distance inwardly from the ends of the said blank. thereby forming projecting tongues 19-49 which overlap when the can body blank is formed around the born or mandrel 7.

The shape of the can body blank after having been acted on by the trimming and slitting knives is represented by Fig. 9 of the the second step in the formation of the can body, the lirst step being the delivery of the can body blank to the endless carrier at and the placing of the same for the action of the described knives.

The next step in the operation of the ratus is the forming engaging hooks in the side edges of the can body blanks, in order that the same may interlock when the prepared body blank is formed around, the horn or mandrel 7.

The location of the hook forming mechanism will be apparent by an inspection of Fig. l of the drawings, wherein the movable hook forming dies are represented by the numcrals 1$)'-lS and the fixed dies by the numer als 20-20. These dies are mounted respectively in the fixed heads 18, and the swinging brackets 18''. which heads the before described fixed knives the movable knives 1'7-l7.

lug dies. carried by the swinging brackets as vswung toward the fixed dies bear onto the side edges of the can body blank intermediate the slitted portions thereof the material to form dmvnwz'trdly the upwardly and ried within the hook been acted on by the tllltll'lllng and slitting knives.

From the hook forming blank is advanced toward the horn or mandrel 7, the can body blank the weight bar 9, which the central portion thereof on the supporting plate 6. This weight bar moving can body. prevents the said can body beingraised from the supporting plate 6 while the side portions of the said blank ride over and upon the upwardly inclined bars 9.3,which partially roll, the can body blank as delivered to the born or mandrel 7. Fig. of the drawings, while at the same time the said weight bar 9 guides the central portion of the can body blank beneath the. mandrel or horn. The can body blank when positioned beneath the said horn or mandrel 7. will be within the clamp jaws 23, which are connected to the operating rod 24 by the toggles 24. As the can body blank 3 is closed around the horn ormandrel 7 the side edge hook 21 of the said body blank engages with the opposing side edge book 22, While the projecting end tongues 19 opposing projecting end tongues 1. As the can body blank is formed around the horn or mandrel 7 by the closure of the hinged clamp jaws 23, the inner end of the can body blank rides on the inclined collar 25, secured to the inner end portion of the said born or mandrel, Fig. 6 ot the drawings, until the said blank is brought into its final position or projecting hooks 2122, Fig. of the drawings. The can body blank is car forming dies by the 1 dies, the can body as propelled toward said horn or mandrel passing beneath I bears thereon to hold by bearing onto the I will overlap the The hook form- 5 down onto the horn or mandrel. The function of the said inclined collar 25 is to true or even the end of the can body blank in order that the end of the formed can body may be true, thereby providing against an uneven end which is frequently found to exist in can bodies and prevent the accurate placing of tops and bottoms thereon. After the can body blank has been formed around the horn or mandrel 7, the hammer 25 is forced downward under pressure to close the side seam of the can body by closing the hooked edges thereof, thereby producing a lock joint seam at such portion of the can body as is united by the hooked side edges of the can body blank, the can body at such portion being held by a joint composed oi I four thicknesses or layers of metal or mateand brackets carrv rial. At the same time the overlapping end tongues are firmly pressed down by the hammer'25', giving a double thickness of material at such portions of the'body side seam and compress i l l l l i l l l I l l l l l l l joint. This double thickness extends a distance from the end of the can body equal in length to the depth of a flange of a top and )ottom which is secured onto the can body by having its flange crimped onto the end portion of the can body which is outwardly flanged by suitable mechanism adapted for this purpose and which forms no portion of the present invention.

The hammer 2.3 is secured to the inner end of a fulcrumed lever 26, Fig. 5 of the drawings. the outer end of said lever being connected to a vertically movable operating rod 536. However, the said hammer 25' is normally held upward or away from the born or mandrel 7 by spring 27, which connects the outer portion of the said fulcrumed lever 26 to the frame 1 of the apparatus. The can body blank is propelled onto the mandrel or horn 7. and the formed can body along and over the said born or mandrelby the before mentioned endless carrier 4, the projecting fingers 5 of which move within the longitudinal grooves or channels 27" in the face of the iorn or mandrel, Fig. 4 of the drawings. The outer end portion of the horn or mandrel T is supported by the vertically disposed rod 28, which is titted within the barrel 28 secured to the frame of the machine. This rod may be adjusted vertically by means of an adjusting screw 29. Fig. 6 of the drawings. i

In order that the formed can removed or stripped from ott mandrel 7-, it is body may be the born or required that the. same be permitted to pass beyond the supporting end of the rod 28, on which bears the lower face of the horn or mandrel. Fig. 6 of the drawings. To this end. the said rod 28 is provided with a hinged outwardly movable sec tion or extension 29, which is normally held up against the face of the horn or mandrel the tension of the by the spring held bolt 30, which bolt atits upper end bears against a projecting portion of the hinged sectlon 29. As the forward end of the formed can body during its withdrawal from the horn or mandrel 7 bears against the inner face of the hinged section 29, the same gives to the pressure exerted thereon and swings outwardly, permitting the can body to be forced from off the born or mandrel.

The formed can body with its locked seam uppermost is delivered from the horn or mandrel 7 onto the solder bar 31, the outer end of which rod is loosely supported and upheld by a roll 31, secured to a transverse shaft 32 working in suitable bearings carried by an auxiliary frame 32, Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The can body as delivered onto the said bar 31 is engaged by theproiecting fingers 33 of an endless carrier chain 33, which propels the canbody along tance to place the said blank beneath, say

the said bar and beneath the soldering irons 34, which irons melt the solder applied to the seam of the can body from the solder feed mechanism. This solder feed being the usual wire solder feed mechanism, detailed description thereof unnecessary, it being understood that the wire solder is delivered from a reel, and passes tl'n'ough the tube 35 onto the seam of the can body as passed thereunder. The endless carrier 33 works over the sprocket wheels 36-36, motion being imparted for the driving of the said sprocket wheels in any suitable manner, said endless carrier removing the soldered can bodies from off the bar 31.

Inasmuch as the can body blanks are subyected to the action of the before described mives and the described hook forming dies as propelled towardthc horn or mandrel 7, it is required that the can body blanks advance a given distance with each step move ment of the endless carrier 4 in order to position the can body blank with absolute accuracy beneath the movable knives and dies. For this purpose longitudinally movable reciprocatin bars 37 are provided, Figs. 3 and 7 of tie drawings. These bars are located at each side of the endless carrier 4, and the same are operated from a rock-shaft 38 bymeans of the arms 38 secured thereon, which arms are connected by pins 39 to the bars 37, said pins extending through and working in slots 37 in the longitudinally disposed plates 5. Each of the said lon tudinally reciprocating bars 37 is provied with a series of raisbd projections 39 which extend above the supporting plate 6 sufliciently to engage the rear end of the can body blank 3 resting on the said'supportin plate 6, when the bars 37 are reciprocate forwardly during the period of restof the endless carrier 4. The said endless carrier advances the can body blank a given disthe trimmin and slitting knives. The chances are tat by reason of the slack or loose play of. the links composing the end less carrier, that the can body blank is not brought at rest so positioned as to be properly acted on by said knives, likewise when the blank is'advanced to be acted on by the hook forming dies, for accurate positioning of the can body blank is essential when first subjected to the action of the mentioned knives, followed by the action of the hook forming dies. During the interval of rest of the endless carrier 4, the longitudinally reciprocating bars 37 are given a forward stroke of predetermined movement, the projections 38 thereof engaging the rear end of the body blank 3 and positively advancing the same to its required position with absolute accuracy. The reciprocating bars 37 make their return stroke during the forward movement of the endless carrier 4.

' The detail mechanism for actuating the various features thus set forth will now be described, each being driven from the main drive shaft 40. The said shaft 40 is driven by the belt 40 working over the pulley 41, Fig. 1 of the drawings, and the motion of the said drive shaft 40 is transmitted by the chain 42 for actuating the before. mentioned solder feed mechanism. To the opposite end of the drive shaft 40 is secured a gear 42, which meshes with and imparts motion to the gear 43, Fig. 2 of the drawings. This gear 43 carries the projecting rolls 43, which alternately move in and out of the radial slots 44 of the disk 44, so as to impart an intermittent or step rotation to the said disk 44, which motion in turn is transmitted by the intermeshing gears 45-45 for imparting rotation to the shaft 46 on which is mounted within the frame of the machine the drive roll 46', over which roll works the endless carrier 4 for conveying the can body blanks through the machine. There is also secured'to the drive shaft 40 in advance of the gear 42, a bevel gear 47, which gear meshes with the bevel pinion 47, secured to the lon itudinal' shaft 48, working in suitable bearings attached to one side of the frame 1. The motion of the drive shaft 40 is thus imparted to the longitudinal shaft 48 in order to actuate the train of intermeshing gears 48 for actuating the endless conveyer 14 for the feeding of can body blanks to the feed rolls 13, which rolls are driven by the gear 49, which-actuates the pinions 50, one of which is mounted on the outer end of the shaft 50. operates the pinions 50?, which impart motion to the said feed rolls -13.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, it will be noted that the motion of the shaft 48 is transmitted to the shaft 50 for operating the feed conveyer 14 by means of the chain 51, which chain works over a series of This shaft which is engaged by a roll 54 carried by the arm 541: depending from the rock-shaft 38.

Duringrotation of the cam rock-shaft 38 is actuated to impart reciproeating motion to the gage bars 37, through the medium of the connecting arms 38',

Fig. 3 of the drawin s. On the drive shaIt .40 and within the frame of the machine, fourcams: 55,.55', 55 55 are secured, Figs. 4, 6, 1 1 of the drawings. The first mentioned cam 55- acts a slide-head 56, slidably mounted on the cross-rods 57, Fi (i of the drawin s; To this slide-head 56 the inner end of tie rods -57 are secured, the outer end of said rods being connected to the swinging brackets I the cam 55, the brackets 18 are 18 carrying the knives l717" and the dies 19 '19 As the slide-head 56 is reciprocated transversely during the rotation of thrown to move the mentionedknives and dies toward and from the can body blanks resting there:

under. The cams 55 and 55 work against the roll 58, carried by the slotted hanger 58 loosely mounted on the shaft 40, which hanger at its upper end carries the roll 58 Y 1 Fig. .6 of the drawings. The roll 58 is of a diameter slightly greater than that of the roll 58, and the said roll 58 and the lowerend of the hanger 58 is secured to the outer I end of the fulcrumedlever 59. This lever against the roll 58, t

in turn is connected at its inner end to the rod 24 which operates'the clamp-jaws 23', Fig. 6 of the drawin s. As the cam 55' acts l ie outer end of the said lever '59 is depressed, which raises its inner end to lift the operating rod 24: to close the clamp-jaws 23 around the ma-ndrel'Z. The.

r moment the incline portion of the-cam 55 is carried beyond the face of the roll-.58, the

' thereof and depresses the rod 24 to open the: I torelease the clamped can cam 55 mounted on the shaft 40, proceeds toact against the roll 58 the hanger 58 lifting therew'iththe roll 58 and the outer end of the fulcrumed lever 59, which gradually lowers the inner end clamp-jaws 23 bodyhon the horn or mandrel 7.

ile the clamp-jaws are in closed posi-- tion, the cam 55 works against the face of the roll 59, carried by the outer end of the fulcrumed lever 60. This lever at its inner end is connected with the lower end. of the. vertically movable rod*26, which rod"'isattached at its upper end to the outer end of the lever 26, carrying the -hammer; 25'?" Figs. 1, 4, and v a the throw of the lever 60,- the 1ever'26,

5 of the drawings. -During 53', the said .headslSL agamst a roll 56 inwardly projecting from r can body to gradually raise blanks are delivered,

for forming can body blanks by means of end of the swinging brackets 18 and working' in the barrels 62. These plunger rods as the brackets 18' are swung inwardly bear jonto the said plates and force the same against the can body blanks; The swing ing brackets are hinged within the fixed It will be understood that the movement of .the described cams 55, 55, 55 and 55 are timed to successively bring into action the trimming knives-and hook forming dies,.

then the clamping-jaws to fold the can body blank around the horn or mandrel, and finally to force the hammer-onto the partially formed can body to close the side seam thereof.

In case it should be desired to form-the with a lock mam its entire length, it is only required to'removethe trimming knives and replace the hook forming dies with the ones of suflicient length to act against the side edges of the can body blanks the entire length thereof. v 4 j Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is 1. In an ap aratus for the described purpose, the com ination with the frame thereof, of an intermittently traveling carrier for the can body blanks, of a horn or mandrel to which the blanks .are delivered b the saidca-rrier, of inclined bars forgra ually raising the side edge portions of the body blanks as delivered to the said horn or mandrel, of a hinged weight bar which bears onto the central portlon of the can body blanks to cause the same to move be.- neath the horn or mandrel, and of mechanism for clamping. the can body blanks around the horn or mandrel and closing the side seam thereof.

2. In an apparatus for the described purof, of an intermittently traveling can body blank carrier working therein, of devices for feeding can body blanks to said carrier, of a horn or mandrel to which the can body of devices for trimming the corners of the said blanks and slitting ,the sideedges' thereof a sli ht dis- 'tance omtheendsof the blank, 0 means ing side .e ges oftheblanksintermediate thefislitted portions thereof, of clamp-jaws which form the body blanks around the forming dies,-

clamp plates 61, which plates are depressed to clamp the the plunger rods 62, said rods being located at each -.pose,- the combination 'with the frame thereprojecting hooks in the opposclosing the can body blanks around the-said corner edges of the blanks and slitting the ,traveling carrier for delivering can body horn or mandrel to place the opposing hook I edges thereof into engagement, and means for locking the engaged hook edges of the can body blanks.

3. In an apparatus for the described purpose, the combination with the frame thereof, of a series of knives for trimming the side edges thereof adjacent the corners, of dies to form hook side edges to the blanks acted on by the knives, of anintermittently secured to the inner end portion of the said I horn or mandrel, and of means for locking the side seam of the loosely formed can body.

4. In an apparatus for the described purpose, the. combination with the horn or mandrel, of mechanism for delivering can body blanks to said horn or mandrel, of clamp-jaws for closing the blanks around the horn or mandrel, of an inclined collar 3c horn or mandrel for gradually evening or truing the end of the body blanks as closed around the same, and of means for closing the side seam of the formed can body.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY G. BLACK.

Witnesses: I

N. A. AOKER, l D. B. RICHARDS. 

